The present invention relates to a gyroscope for measuring the rolling position and steering of flying bodies in response to a sensed rolling position. More specifically, the invention relates to a gyroscope which is generally suitable for primary and secondary flying bodies. A primary flying body in this context is a flying body which carries a secondary flying body to be ejected or launched from the primary flying body. The present gyroscope is especially suitable for use in a secondary flying body which is ejected from a rolling carrier or primary flying body.
The use of such rolling positional gyroscopes for providing a reference value in the guidance and stabilizing of flying bodies is well known. Reference is made in this connection to German patent publications(DE-OS) No. 1,623,359; (DE-AS) No. 1,222,274; and (DE-OS) No. 2,501,931. These prior art structures customarily comprise a gyroscope supported by universal joint or gimbal means and brought to its rated r.p.m. by means of a pressurized gas charge. The pressurized gas blows against the gyro rotor through a nozzle.
The use of this type of gyro in so-called subflying bodies or secondary flying bodies which are ejected from primary or carrier flying bodies, has encountered certain problems. Where the primary or carrier flying body is of the nonrolling type, no problems have been encountered in the transfer of the rolling position representing information from one positional gyro in the carrier flying body to the positional gyro in the secondary or subflying body. However, when the primary or carrier flying body is of the rolling type, it is not possible to activate the positional gyro normally equipped with lockable frames, without a follow-up mechanism because the frames cannot be unlocked simultaneously which causes an unlocking error. Positional gyros or gyroscopes equipped with a lockable frame are also known as so-called three-positional gyros (please see U.S. Pat. No. 3,570,282, issued Mar. 16, 1971, wherein a nozzle tube for causing a rotor to spin also functions as a releasable gimbal frame locking and unlocking means).
To avoid the just outlined problem it is conceivable to use a positional gyro having an outer frame which is not locked. However, it would appear that the drive of the gyro rotor in such an instance would be rather complex. Further, in such a structure without a locked outer frame it is not possible to avoid course deviations of the inner frame of the positional gyro during the activation of the rotor unless expensive preventive measures are taken. Without such expensive preventive measures there is no guarantee that the spinning axis is aligned orthogonalle the roll axis of the secondary flying body. Such alignment is required due to the large yawing angle motions of the secondary flying body. Furthermore, in such a structure it would not be known in what axial position the gyro was started. Therefore, no fixed reference point would be available.
Another way of solving the above mentioned problem could be visualized in activating the positional gyro in the secondary flying bodies already prior to starting the primary or carrier flying body. However, in such a solution the positional accuracy can be satisfied only with relatively expensive equipment due to the long flying time and due to the rolling of the carrier flying body. Under certain circumstances the positional accuracy can be assured only with so-called slave type gyroscopes which have a substantial volume and are therefore not quite suitable for use in the limited space available in such flying bodies.